Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS)
What It Measures
The Patient-Specific Functional Scale lets the person choose what gets measured. Instead of a fixed list of activities that may or may not matter to them, the person names up to five things they are struggling to do because of their condition.
Each named activity is rated 0 to 10, where 0 means unable to perform it and 10 means able to perform it at the level they managed before the problem started. The ratings average into a single score out of 10, and the same activities are re-rated at follow-up. Because the person defines the content, it works for almost any condition or body region, and it captures change in things that actually matter to them.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: The PSFS is described as being in the public domain and freely available for clinical and research use without licensing fees. No permission is required to reproduce or adapt it.
Learn More: The minimal clinically important difference is 2 to 3 points for the average score, with about 3 points commonly cited — though because the activities are person-specific, that threshold is a guide rather than a fixed rule. At follow-up, the person re-rates the original activities and may also nominate new ones.
